BlacKKKlansman (Review)

Theatrical release poster

BlacKKKlansman is the incredible true story of a black police officer who goes undercover and infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. For a movie about such a dark subject, it’s uproariously funny. I was laughing pretty much throughout the whole movie. 

BlacKKKlansman is based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, played beautifully by relative Hollywood newcomer, John David Washington. Set in Colorado Springs, CO, in the early 1970’s, the hero of the story, Ron, becomes the first African American police officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department. At that time, racism is rampant throughout the department, and Stallworth struggles to find a way to make a name for himself. Eventually, he is tasked to go undercover at a rally put on by the local college which featured a popular speaker spreading the message of racial equality. It is at this rally that Ron meets Patrice (played by Laura Harrier from Spiderman: Homecoming), the leader of the college’s Black Student Organization, who becomes his romantic interest for the duration of the film. Back at the office, Ron decides to answer a newspaper ad that is covertly recruiting members to the Ku Klux Klan. After talking over the phone to one of the members, he’s asked to meet in person to start the vetting process to become a member. Ron recruits Detective Flip Zimmerman, played by the marvelous Adam Driver, to be the frontman of the operation while Ron spends time on the phone drawing them out. Eventually, Ron ends up striking up a fake-friendship with David Dukes, the leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Through that friendship, Ron (through Flip) is asked to become the leader of the Colorado Springs KKK chapter. Eventually, violence erupts and covers are blown, but not before Ron and Flip gather quite a body of evidence, enough to close down the local chapter and put some people in jail. Ron and Flip, but especially Ron, is hailed as a hero by his police department and with Flip’s help, he’s even able to put away several of the most racist, crooked cops in his department.

Spike Lee and the cast did a great job of balancing out this film, contrasting edge of your seat suspense with side-splitting humor. It’s such a dark subject, and this movie doesn’t dance around that fact at all. But it does accentuate the humor in an underdog totally pulling one over on the establishment. And the romance with Patrice did a great job of demonstrating the duality of Ron’s life that he was living at the time.  

BlacKKKlansman received 6 Academy Award nominations: Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director (legendary Spike Lee), Best Supporting Actor (Adam Driver), and Best Film Editing. It won Best Adapted Screenplay, as it was based on the book written by Ron Stallworth himself, Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime.

I enjoyed this movie so much, it may just be my favorite out of the 8 Best Picture nominees this year. Ron Stallworth has been added to my list of heroes for sure. BlacKKKlansman should be added to your must-see movie list! The film is rated R and out on DVD and streaming services now. Go get it!